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NOVEMBER 2000
SQUABBLING OVER
MARTHA GRAHAM: Legal wrangling over the ownership of Martha Graham's
choreography. A few weeks ago it seemed like a settlement had been made to
revive the Martha Graham Company, but that may now have fallen through. The
dance company's board is also exploring whether Graham heir Ron Protas actually
owns the dance works. Village Voice
11/28/00
THE
ROYAL WINNIPEG'S REVOLVING DOOR: The Royal Winnipeg Ballet has had three
artistic directors in eight years. And, with the dismissal late last week of
Andrew Wilhelm-Boyles, three executive directors in the same period. What's
happening to one of Canada's great dance companies?
National Post 11/29/00
Monday November
27
- ROYAL
WINNIPEG FIRES DIRECTOR: The Royal Winnipeg Ballet has fired its executive
director. Andrew Wilhelm-Boyles had been widely credited with turning the
company's financial fortunes around since he arrived in 1997. CBC 11/27/00
Monday November
20
- CONTRACTING
TO DANCE: The Australian Ballet postpones a major work and schedules it for
the opening of its 2001 season, then discovers its contract to perform the work
has run out. "The contract, believed to date from 1986, stipulated that for 10
years the Australian Ballet had the rights to stage the work in-house, that is,
without a repetiteur. After that, a new contract would need to be renegotiated
and a repetiteur flown out to re-stage the work." Sydney Morning Herald 11/20/00
- DRIVING EDWARD
VILLELLA: In the 15 years since he founded it, Edward Villella has turned
Miami City Ballet into a respectable, successful company. "But Villella, though
exhausted by years of overwork and in failing health - he has a bleeding ulcer
and underwent his third major hip operation last May - keeps pushing toward new
peaks. It's almost as if the closer he gets to the mountaintop, the harder he
drives himself - and the more frustrated he becomes at not reaching it."
Miami Herald 11/19/00
Sunday November
19
- DANCE'S
ANNUAL PICK-ME-UP: It's "Nutcracker" season again. Ballet companies all over
stage the classic, and it typically generates at least 40 percent of a ballet
company's income from ticket sales. Dance companies also fill theatres they
otherwise have a difficult time attracting audiences to. San Jose Mercury News 11/19/00
Wednesday November
15
- PAUL
TAYLOR AT 70: Paul Taylor is 70 and going strong. "The dancers call him
'Boss' and Taylor describes his company as 'family', although he adds: 'With all
the dysfunctions, too'. It matters to him that dancers average 'around 10 years'
with the company before they move on. It has hurt him when they have finally
gone." Philadelphia Inquirer 11/15/00
Monday November
13
- GOT US A
DANCE COMPANY - NOW WHAT? The celebrated Jose Limón Dance Company comes to
San Jose, and "only about 50 bodies filled the nearly 500-seat theater. Such a
low turnout brings up the question, once again, about the status of the arts in
San Jose. Is the community willing to support the best that the performing arts
world has to offer? Are arts marketers willing to roll up their sleeves and
promote such work? If not, why would a company like Limón bother to return?"
San Jose Mercury News 11/13/00
Sunday November
12
- WORKING TO PRESENT
DANCE: "Theaters now hire companies not just to perform but to participate
in residencies, outreach and barter programs as well. In the New York area, for
example, the College of Staten Island offers residencies in which rehearsal
space is exchanged for performances in its five theaters. Theaters are also
paying increased attention to audiences. New York Times
11/12/00 (one-time registration required for
entry)
Thursday November
9
- THE MALE DANCER PROBLEM: It's
still difficult to be a male ballet dancer what with the social stigmas and
stereotypes. But "in many ways, things look better than they did 15 or 20 years
ago: New York's School of American Ballet (SAB) and the school of the Dance
Theatre of Harlem boast higher male student enrollment than ever before, and the
number of gifted male dancers currently onstage indicates that more men are
feeding into the pool, probably at younger ages." Village Voice 11/08/00
- THE
SUCCESSFUL GHOUL: The Royal Winnipeg Ballet is the oldest continually
performing ballet in North America. But five years ago it had a crushing $1
million debt and its subscriber list had dwindled to 3000. Then it found
"Dracula"... The Plain Dealer (Cleveland)
11/09/00
Sunday November
5
- BALLET
FOLKLORICO FOUNDER DIES: "Amalia Hernandez, the founder of Mexico's Ballet
Folklórico and a pioneer in the revival of traditional Mexican dance styles over
the last 50 years, died Saturday at the age of 83." Dallas Morning News (AP) 11/05/00
Thursday November
2
- TAYLOR ON TOP: Paul Taylor’s influence is felt
throughout the dance world, and, at age 70, he’s still working strong.
"Ultimately Taylor's achievement is being 70 and still practising his art. While
other dance groups fall victim to poverty and changes in fashion, the Paul
Taylor Company has prospered since it was formed in 1955. Some of the dance
world's starriest names owe a debt to his extrovert style." The Guardian
(London) 11/02/00
Wednesday November
1
- ESCAPE FROM
AUSTRALIA: Eleven dancers are leaving the Australian Ballet. "It is known
that among those departing are three of the eight senior artists and two of the
three leading soloists." Sydney Morning Herald
11/01/00
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